Thanks to everyone who stopped by our Women’s Health Research stall at the Birmingham Mela festival over July 22-23 in Victoria Park. Despite heavy rain taking over all of Saturday, the team were still able to engage lots of visitors over the two days, including many British South-Asian and South-Asian women and their families, local councillors and other stall holders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr Caroline Gillett, who organised IMSR’s presence at the event with the support of Research England QR funding, was joined with clinician-scientists Dr Fatima Junaid and Dr Saba Tariq, as well as 5th year medical student Anoushka Ramkumar, who all helped facilitate conversations about women’s health and the importance of diversity within research involvement activities. Dr Catherine Drysdale from SMQB also teamed up with us, as did DAISy-PCOS leader Sunila who has polycystic ovary syndrome – enabling us to have lived experience voice and a quantitative scientist also represented. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We had several women express an interest in joining the DHL Network’s ‘Hildas’ patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) group and we will be following up with opportunities for their involvement soon, including Caroline’s QR-funded health literacy project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Collectively the team helped raise awareness of some of the research and PPIE being done in IMSR, especially within the Birmingham BRC Women’s Metabolic Health theme led by Professor Shakila Thangaratinam. If you know women interested in PPIE and\/or in reducing access barriers to research involvement get in touch with Caroline to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n